If pilots are taught to make good decisions then the vast majority of 'the law' is completely irrelevant - which may upset DFC but would hopefully mean we would not have incidents like this to discuss.
Not at all. If we could rely on pilots to comply with the minimum standards then we would not need laws to try to force them to. i.e. If you could rely on drivers driving at 70mph or less on a motorway then your would not need a legal speed limit and traffic cops - but unfortunately you can't.
It is a side issue but I'm increasingly concerned by the A to B thinking that so many posters exhibit. I' m a vanilla PPL, no IMC or IR. I tour VFR and I take pot luck on the weather. The idea of A to B is a desired result, flying to a schedule or absolute end point is fine for IRs and bluntly a vain hope otherwise.
I hope that you don't really mean that. You are saying that you depart without knowing that you will be able to land safely again at a destination or that the weather will be VMC and depart without having a clue as to what the minimum fuel requirement is????
Even if you depart A to wander aimlessly round the southern UK for an hour or two and then land at A you have a departure, destination and route / area combined with time to give you a minimum fuel requirement. You may not do the sums to the nearest litre but I bet you decide how much fuel you will use, how much reserve you want and make sure you have this or more in the aircraft. Without a departure, route and destination you can not even decide how much fuel you need never mind what the weather is going to be like.
You might mid-flight change your mind and decide to land at X. But that decision will be based on a new plan taking into account fuel, weather, PPR, wife complaining about you being late back etc etc.
Perhaps you are making many of the decisions without realising, however;
I bet you will not go flying aimlessly round the UK if the forecast and actuals say that much is IMC and the rest will be within the next few hours!
I also bet that if you take off from A on a bimble round the countryside and return to A before the approaching front arives, you will not mid-flight decide to land at z airfield for a cup of tea if you think that the weather will overtake you and you will be socked in.
Well I hope not.
Regards,
DFC